FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN THE AAC

Playoff dreams?

Yes, it’s still a long shot, but this might be the closest a Group of Five team gets to a real crack at the College Football Playoff. Even with the Big Ten and Pac-12 sitting out the fall, there will be plenty of contenders from the SEC, Big 12 and ACC. UCF and Cincinnati could make an argument if either goes undefeated. Because the Mountain West won’t play, the AAC is in position for a New Year’s Six bowl .

Schedule chaos

Take away 40 percent of FBS schools, along with most of the FCS, and it was a mad scramble just to fill holes in the nonconference schedule. The AAC still wound up with some tasty appetizers. Tulsa will play Oklahoma State; SMU managed to keep its Iron Skillet rivalry with TCU; Navy will play BYU and Army; UCF visits Georgia Tech; and UH will travel to BYU. Alas, Navy losts its game with Notre Dame.

Comeback story

In what continues to be a feel-good story, UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton this summer posted a video of himself doing agility drills less than two years after a gruesome injury nearly resulted in the amputation of his right leg. In late August, coach Josh Heupel said Milton, listed as a redshirt senior, continues to make encouraging progress. Milton’s status for 2020, however, remains up in the air.

Three-team race at the top

There is a clear pecking order at the top: UCF, Cincinnati and Memphis. Luke Fickell has led the Bearcats to back-to-back 11-win seasons and returns 10 starters from a defense that allowed 20.6 points per game. After averaging 43.4 points last season, UCF should again feature a high-powered offense behind QB Dillon Gabriel. Memphis remains in good hands with 4,000-yard passer Brady White.

Sleeper picks

Take your pick. Under coach Willie Fritz, Tulane has momentum with back-to-back bowl victories. SMU is coming off a double-digit-win season for the first time since 1984 and returns quarterback Shane Buechele, who passed for nearly 4,000 yards. Temple could provide some headaches for teams. Don’t count out Houston, which features the pass-catch combo of Clayton Tune and Marquez Stevenson.